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Kenneth's POV

I sat in my office, rolling on the chair as I stared at the birds on my desk. Only four of them were back out of the countless birds I had sent out. I was worried, wondering if the birds had landed safely and the men had gotten my message.

It had been four days since I had sent the letters and expected the men to be trooping into the palace but they weren't here yet. I hadn't even gotten a response to my letters and couldn't stop worrying about what the delay was all about.

I feared the worst. I feared that the letters had fallen into the wrong hands. I feared that someone totally unrelated to who the letters were meant for had seen the birds flying in the air, shot at them with a catapult and eaten them.

My heart squeezed at the thought of my precious birds being turned to meat and ending up in someone's belly. I didn't put precious time in raising them for them to have such a bland ending.

"Damn it," I cursed, banging my fist hard upon the desk and holding in my wince